US Elections 2016: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul to announce candidacy on 7 April

Senator Rand Paul is set to become the second official Republican candidate running for president in 2016.(Reuters)

Voters can expect to add another Republican candidate in the 2016 race for president this week. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is scheduled to announce his candidacy during a speech in his home state on 7 April, the Associated Press reported.

According to the AP, Paul will visit counties in the first four early nominating states that favored President Obama over Republican nominee Mitt Romney in 2012.

The Kentucky senator's redesigned website states he has "a clear vision to revitalize America".

This vision includes working on energy security, advocating for pro-life laws, balancing the nation's budget and even a restructuring to how government officials are elected and how long they can serve in office.

Paul's views, which skew more towards economic libertarianism ideals than Republican policies, may help him attract younger voters.

The immigration question

Eliott West, a Spring Arbor University student who led a pro-Paul delegation at a conservative conference recently, told the AP, "He can appeal to a broader spectrum of voters. He is about more freedom, less government. And if Republicans are going to win, that's what we need."

The AP also noted that 52-year-old has been the only potential candidate to visit college campuses, historically black universities, and minority communities. Despite this, Paul's campaign website lacks any mention of issues important to minority voters, such as immigration reform.

According to BuzzFeed News, Paul's previous website stated he did not support amnesty for undocumented immigrants, but rather supported legal immigration.

"I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately," his website read. "I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities."

A Paul spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, "The issue pages, for our new website, are still a work in progress."

More candidates to follow

Senator Paul is entering what is set to be a packed Republican presidential campaign.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the first to announce his candidacy in March, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio and former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina expected to announce their candidacies later this month.

Unlike his fellow candidates, Paul has continuously issued a bleak outlook on the state of the nation and has advocated drastic changes.

During a Washington event for conservatives earlier this year, Paul said, "Our future hangs in the balance… We can debate a jobless recovery, an alarming debt, a bothersome and abusive regulatory state. But know this: You can't have prosperity without freedom."